It’s been 24 years since Danny K – real name Daniel Koppel – released his smash hit debut single, Hurt So Bad. The R&B singer – who worked with the likes of Kabelo Mabalane and the late Mandoza – has taken a different route from his music career into retail, where he owns and manages several businesses. DANNY K CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY OF DEBUT SONG On his TikTok account, Danny K – now 47 – shared a look back at the 2000 release of his debut single, Hurt So Bad.
The song, as well as the music video featuring the baby-faced singer, catapulted him into stardom. Hurt So Bad featured the backup vocals of another R&B star, TK Mhinga, who died of a suspected drug overdose in 2006. “This was 24 years ago, damn!” The song was released on Danny K’s self-titled album.
He would released five more – J23 (2003), Same Difference (a joint album with Mandoza in 2005), This Is My Time (2006), Across The Line (2010), Good Look (2013) – as well as several more singles thereafter. But despite his successful, SAMA-winning music career, Danny K has taken a different path. According to BusinessLive , the star opened his sweet and confectionary company, KD Foods, in 2015.
In 2022, his company bought Sweets From Heaven from liquidation. Danny K has also introduced other luxury brands to the SA market, including US men’s footwear brands Cole Haan and Valora Jewellery. REMEMBERING HIS BABY BROTHER In another Instagram post, Danny K remembered his younger brother Jarren, who died.